Ratchet-type pipe wrench having crank-type handles



Sept. 10, 1957 B. A. DARROW 2,805,593

RATCHET-TYPE PIPE WRENCH HAVING CRANK-TYPE HANDLES Filed March 11, 1955mi ma 5M FIG. 2

B. A. DARRCW ATTORINEY gangsta Fatented i9, 195? fifiee assasasRATCHET-TWE PIPE WRENCH HAVING RANK-TYPE HANDLES Easil A. Darrow,Kermit, Tex.

Application March 11, 1955, Serial No. 493,743

1 Claim. (ill. till-97) This invention relates to a wrench and moreparticularly to the type of Wrench used to join together sections ofpipe in the laying of petroleum pipe lines although the use of thisinvention is not necessarily limited to that use.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved means for grippingand turning pipe sections with a Wrench so constructed as to beself-adjusting to the diameter of the pipe and one which does not,therefore, require tedious or time-consuming manual adjustments.

A further object of this invention is to provide a selfadjusting wrenchfor the gripping and turning of sections of pipe, said wrench being soconstructed as to provide means for gripping the pipe securely at threeseparate points about its diameter to prevent initial rotation of thewrench relative to the pipe as encountered in wrenches of the tong andstrap types in their various modifications.

A further object of this invention is to provide by a wrench of the typeherein described a means of releasing and removing the wrench from asection of pipe without finger manipulations subject to hindrances byheavy gloves or adverse working conditions.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a wrench embodying the features of thepresent invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a broken elevation of the wrench with the top frame plateremoved to show the arrangement of the component parts and to illustratethe operation of the traveling dog, the release lever, and theengagement spring.

Referring to the drawings it will be noted that the wrench, as hereillustrated in its preferred form for purposes of explanation, isconstructed of two frame plates Jill and 1.0 of similar shape andfunction between and through which the other components are mounted.Each plate it and It) has an aperture 1.1 through which the pipe 12 tobe turned is admitted. Near the center of the wrench is a bolt 13 whichfastens the two frame plates and 19' by means of an opposed nut 13 andsecures a swingable dog 14 which is pivotally mounted to the bolt.Attached to the swingable dog 14 near its free end is the release lever15 suspended between the frame plates 1t and it) but extending wellbeyond their limits to provide accessible means for manually alteringthe position of the dog 14. Attached to the opposite side of the dog 14near its free end, is a coil spring 16 which is also secured to acoil-spring-mounting screw 17 between the frame plates, the coil springbiasing the free end of the dog 14 toward the pipe 12. The work-engagingface on the free end of the dog 14 is serrated as at 13 and is shaped asan arc eccentric to the pivot axis of the dog 1'4. This eccentric arcpermits the dog 14 to accommodate itself to pipes of varying diameterand to accentuate its grip on the pipe 12 as the wrench is rotated in aclockwise direction as shown in Figure 1.

Mounted between the frame plates 10 and 10' and about the aperture 11,approximately degrees from the dog 14 and approximately 120 degrees fromeach other, are two stationary dogs 19 fastened in a fixed position tothe frame plates 10 and it) by two bolts and nuts. The innerwork-engaging surfaces of the stationary dogs 18 project into theaperture 11 and, like the dog 14, are serrated for the purpose ofgripping a pipe.

At the end of the wrench opposite the aperture Elli is a handle 2d, thehand grips 21 of which are freely rotatable by reason of their beingthreaded onto opposite ends of a stud 22 which extends rotatably throughthe frame plates iii and 1t), and through a tubular spacer 23 locatedbetween said plates.

In operation, the release lever 15 is manuaiiy depressed and theaperture 11 of the wrench is placed about the pipe 12 to be turned. Whenthe release lever 15 is set free, the coil spring 16 swings the dog 14against the pipe 12 so that, upon clockwise rotation of the wrench, asseen in Figures 1 and 3, the dog 14 will cam the pipe against the twoserrated gripping surfaces 18. Making use of the rotatable hand grips,the operator of the wrench may then turn the pipe 12 and wrench togetherwith a circular motion while never losing hand contact with the handle;or he may turn the pipe 12 by moving the wrench back and forth in anapproximate straight line motion as is often necessary when the pipe issituated near the bottom of a ditch. It will be noted that the wrenchaccomplishes more effective turning when operated in a restrictedstraight line motion than do wrenches of the strap or tong varietybecause the three serrated surfaces incorporated herein greatly retardthe initial rotation of the wrench relative to the pipe as occurs in thestrap or tong types before the wrench takes hold. When the desiredturning is accomplished the release lever 15 is depressed and the wrenchis removed'from the pipe.

The invention isnot limited to the exemplary construction herein shownand described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of theappended claim.

What is claimed is:

A pipe wrench comprising a pair of elongated flat frame members inspaced parallel relation and having congruent pipe-receiving aperturesin corresponding ends thereof, a swingable dog pivoted between saidframes intermediate the ends thereof, the free end of said dog beingadapted to extend into the area defined by said apertures, fixed dogssecured between said frame in the end thereof adjacent said aperturesand having pipe-engaging walls which project inwardly of the peripheryof said apertures, a release lever secured to said swingable dog andextending outwardly between said frames at corresponding sides thereof,a spring mounted between said frames and attached to said swingable dog,said spring being arranged to normally move the free end of saidswingable dog inwardly of the aperture, and a rotatable handle on eachsaid frame at the end thereof opposite its aperture and perpendicular toa fiat surface of each said frame.

iteterences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS30,997 Wenzel Dec. 18, 1860 816,434 Claflin Mar. 27, 1906 1,322,643Steen Nov. 25, 1919 1,424,045 Sprague July 25, 1922 2,418,864 BarggrenApr. 15, 1947 2,463,525 Deming Mar. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 552 GreatBritain Jan. 9, 1895

